MLB Player News

Cannon (1-2) was tagged with the loss after he pitched one inning, giving up eight runs (five earned) on seven hits while striking out one batter in Sunday's 11-2 defeat to the Tigers.

Cannon ran into trouble early Sunday, surrendering five runs in the first inning while serving up two home runs. He returned to the mound for the second frame, allowing three straight singles before being pulled from the contest. Cannon's performance against Detroit was quite the 180 degree shift from his last outing Tuesday versus the Astros, when he pitched 8.2 scoreless innings. On the season, Cannon now owns a 4.59 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 29 strikeouts over 33.1 innings in seven appearances, including six starts, with the White Sox. With Mike Clevinger (elbow) nearing a return from the 15-day injured list, it's unclear if Cannon will get another turn in the rotation.

Buxton went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an RBI double in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Athletics.

Buxton has an extra-base hit in each of his last three games. This was his first multi-hit effort since June 13. He's hitting .246 (16-for-65) over 18 games in June, right in line with his .245 batting average for the season. Buxton has added a .702 OPS, five homers, 25 RBI, 26 runs scored, five stolen bases, 11 doubles and three triples across 58 contests. He's been given ample rest since returning from a knee injury in May, but he remains the primary center fielder for the Twins.

Jax struck out two and allowed one hit in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Athletics.

The Twins haven't had much need for their bullpen this weekend, as Bailey Ober tossed a complete game Saturday and Pablo Lopez went eight innings Sunday. Jax hadn't pitched since Thursday, so he was a little fresher than Jhoan Duran, who last pitched Friday, which likely explains manager Rocco Baldelli's decision. Jax has done well in a high-leverage role this year, posting a 2.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 46:8 K:BB over 34.1 innings. He's added seven saves and 12 holds, though he's likely to remain second in the hierarchy for closing duties.

Lopez (7-6) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out 14 over eight shutout innings to earn the win Sunday over the Athletics.

Lopez retired the first 17 batters he faced before Lawrence Butler's sixth-inning single. This was Lopez's first scoreless outing of the season as well as his longest start, and the 14 strikeouts were a season high. He'd given up 14 runs over 13 innings across his first three starts in June. Even with this gem, Lopez has a 5.11 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 101:19 K:BB through 88 innings across 16 starts this year. Considering he's posted a career-worst 1.6 HR/9, it's likely a fair amount of his struggles have come from bad luck with the long ball, as the rest of his underlying numbers are in line with his usual level of performance. Lopez is lined up to make his next start at Seattle.

Suarez (3-2) yielded five runs on 10 hits and three walks over five innings Sunday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Astros.

Suarez got off to a rocky start when the Astros plated four runs in the first inning, beginning with Jose Altuve's leadoff shot on Suarez's first pitch of the afternoon. Suarez was 3-0 through 14 appearances but has now taken back-to-back losses. Over his last two starts, he's been tagged with eight runs in 8.2 innings, bumping his season ERA from 1.61 to 2.70 through 49.2 frames. Part of his recent struggles can be attributed to his command issues, as he's walked 11 batters over his last three starts. Suarez is currently in line for a home matchup against the Rangers.

Valdez (6-5) allowed a run on six hits and two walks over seven innings Sunday, striking out seven and earning a win against Baltimore.

Valdez rolled through five shutout frames without facing too much trouble before Jordan Westburg belted a solo shot in the sixth inning. The Astros gave Valdez plenty of run support as he halted a brief two-start losing streak. It was the third time this year he's struck out at least seven batters, and each of those outings have come in his last eight starts. He's produced an impressive 2.73 ERA through 33 innings this month, lowering his season mark to 3.68 across 80.2 frames. Valdez will carry a 63:26 K:BB into his next outing, which is projected to be on the road against the Mets.

Pena went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored in Sunday's win against the Orioles.

Pena hit an RBI double in the first inning before knocking a two-run double in the sixth. He'd been stuck in a 6-for-49 (.122) slump since his last multi-hit game June 5. Pena's homerless drought has now reached 31 games, and he's attempted only one steal in his last 15 contests. Still, he bumped his season slash line up to .280/.316/.382 through 314 plate appearances.

Diaz went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's victory against the Orioles.

Diaz knocked an RBI single in the first inning and later brought home two more runs with a pair of sacrifice flies. After hitting .200 in May, the 25-year-old has gone 18-for-57 (.316) in 15 June contests. Diaz owns a .704 OPS with 37 RBI and 31 runs scored in 67 games.

Bregman went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and a walk in Sunday's win over Baltimore.

Bregman turned in a perfect day at the plate, starting with a double and a run scored during Houston's four-run first inning. It was his third multi-hit performance over his last four games. He's gone 17 straight games without a home run, but he's hitting .354 (23-for-65) during that span. Bregman's season slash line is up to .257/.318/.414 with 33 runs scored and 26 extra-base hits through 74 games.

Perez went 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 11-2 win over the White Sox.

While Perez wasn't one of the four Detroit players to go deep, he still had a big performance in the blowout win. The 24-year-old came into play batting just .188 over his last five games, but he's hitting .264 overall in what's been a solid rookie campaign so far. Perez should continue to see regular playing time for the Tigers, at least while Kerry Carpenter (back) is on the injured list, and that gives him some fantasy upside.